How to Read The Bible Successfully

To gain an understanding of the overall account, consider picking up “The Story — The Bible as One Continuing Story of God and His People”. This neat resource arranges selected excerpts of the Bible in chronological order. The texts were chosen to retain the overall flow of the narrative, so that when you read this story, you will get a sense of the “big picture” of the Bible. This can be a great base to build off.

The Bible is its own best teacher. The Bible however is not arranged like an encyclopedia. You cannot go to chapter 1 and read everything about God and go to chapter 2 to read everything about Jesus, etc. Remember when reading the Bible the verses and chapter breaks are placed in the scriptures by man. It is better to read by paragraph, these too are man-made but they do conform better to the original language than verses. Some ground rules need to be set up first:

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One final note of encouragement: as exciting as the Bible is, staying fresh can become a problem for many readers, especially when they find themselves in the middle of long lists of genealogies and ceremonial laws. Don’t worry; God isn’t grading you on your ability to recall detail. He wants you to meet him in his Word.

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How to Understand Proverbs Give wisdom to a wise man, and he will grow wiser. Give wisdom to a fool, and he will hurt himself and others.

A good Bible dictionary will facilitate this rule. For instance, if we plan to read the book of Genesis, we ought to consult a Bible dictionary article on “Genesis.” An introduction to the content increases our ability to understand and retain the material. Give the mind an advantage by knowing as much as you can about your reading before you read. This is true with respect to the Bible as a whole, and in connection with chapters and verses. Halley’s Bible Handbook is a useful tool for this; its chapter summaries are a helpful reader’s guide.

You can’t understand great literature, common metaphors, or cultural allusions without a basic knowledge of these ancient texts. (I use the plural because the Bible is actually a collection of books.)

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Finally, if you are picking up a bible for the first time, I’d encourage you to keep it simple. This resource will help you develop a daily seven-minute routine with God.

I’ve heard so many people who would love to read the Bible through in a year, but never completed the task. It’s nearly impossible for the pastor to preach through all of it, so you are going to miss something unless you study on your own, but most believers haven’t read all the Bible. Some of the best nuggets of truth I discovered on my own, reading through the Bible in a year.

We need to read the Bible collectively. As friends, dating couples, married couples, entire families, small groups, congregations, we can read the Bible together and all be better for it. On October 4, 1982, Ronald Reagan signed a joint resolution passed by the United States Congress. While it is worthy of being quoted in its entirety, I cite only the final paragraph:

The application step is not completed by simply answering these questions; the key is putting into practice what God has taught you in your study. Although at any given moment you cannot be consciously applying everything you’re learning in Bible study, you can be consciously applying something. And when you work on applying a truth to your life, God will bless your efforts by, as noted earlier, conforming you to the image of Jesus Christ.

I do not imply that the Bible should be read sloppily. We ought to devote separate time and proven methods for deeper study (see Effective Bible Study — An Urgent Need For Everyone). This is indispensable to our growth as well. Such projects, however, usually cannot be accomplished in short periods of time. We need an entire morning, evening, or Saturday afternoon, to devote uninterrupted hours for these special studies. With perseverance and planning, we can devote ourselves to persistent Bible reading with thirty minutes to an hour per day.

We must read the Bible persistently. Bible reading can be discouraging for some, especially the new Christian. He may be distracted by what is not readily understood, rather than absorbing what could have been easily grasped. I recommend that you keep a notebook nearby while reading the Bible. Write down the reference of a verse that perplexes you, and keep on reading. Schedule another time for a more exhaustive study to research the difficult text. Avoid interrupting your plan, as a general rule, to ponder about an obscure thought to the neglect of much that could have been understood. Don’t allow discouragement to set in. Keep reading, and press on.

Take advantage of a method and use it. Devise your own and tenaciously work through it. The most prolific Bible readers with whom I am familiar are people who are systematic in method and time. A designated pattern and time of day, interrupted only because of absolute necessity, establishes a way of life; there is no need to “fit it in” to one’s schedule. Other things may be postponed. We have our Bibles to read!

When you’ve read through John, simply go on to the next book, Acts. This is Luke’s sequel to his account of Jesus, picking up the story at the point of Christ’s ascension. In this action-packed book we learn how the early church got started and how the gospel spread throughout the Roman Empire. “Students are into community,” says Bob, “and Acts is about community — with all of its ups and downs.” Understanding the letters of Paul, Peter and others that follow in the Bible will be much easier once you’ve read Acts. You’ll have a better feel for who the recipients of those letters were.

Once you’ve got these under your belt, you can jump into some of the narrative stories of the Old Testament. Genesis and Exodus are good places to begin, since the events described form the basis of Judeo-Christian and Islamic worldviews. If you’ve already read Mark, John and Romans, you’ll begin to see how Jesus fits into the overarching story of God’s activity in the world.

The key, I think, is to keep the process simple. Don’t make it more complicated than it needs to be. Don’t get hung up on what you don’t understand.

Proverbs 4:20–22 says, My son, be attentive to my words…for they are life to those who find them… The word “attend” means to pay attention to, give some time to something. To attend to the Word of God is a lot more than just reading; it’s meditating on it.

We must stay awake to effectively read the Bible. But more than that, we must read it with focus and fervency. It doesn’t matter if the brain wanders while reading the latest editorial in the paper. The Bible matters. The kind of effort we expend in reading, comprehending, retaining, and applying God’s word matters eternally. Choose a time of day when you are alert. Select a place where you will not become easily fatigued. Provide yourself with adequate lighting. And focus. It is work; it is soul-saving work — your own!

● Conclusion. Having answered your questions for understanding by means of context, cross-reference, and culture, you can make a preliminary statement of the passage’s meaning. Remember that if your passage consists of more than one paragraph, the author may be presenting more than one thought or idea.

A lot of people would like to become more familiar with the Bible’s characters, stories and message. That’s a worthy ambition, but where do you begin? Many would-be readers are paralyzed by the sheer size of the Bible and by not knowing where to start.

What Netflix Cannot Give — and Death Cannot Take Joy is not a participation trophy in the Christian life. It is a prize to be won, an animal to be caught, a treasure we sacrifice whatever necessary to have.

We must read the Bible reverently. Bible reading is not a matter of Pharisaic self-congratulation. It should not degrade into a mere routine. For reverent readers, Bible reading and prayer are inseparable (see Acts 6:4). The regularity of our reading should not diminish our respect for the words breathed out by God. To the contrary, I believe that the persistent reader will become more reverent through the passing of time.

We ought to read the Bible regularly. John Stott was right when he wrote to preachers, “Sporadic and haphazard dipping into the Scriptures is not enough” (1982, 182). Neither is it enough for any Christian. Any child of God who needs convinced that he ought to read the Bible regularly is in spiritual peril already.

In this post, I thought I’d share how I read the bible. It’s not the only way to do it, of course. But I thought this might be helpful to you if you want to read it all the way through and partake of its treasures on a regular basis.

Expect to grow stronger; be encouraged and more fruitful through regular contact with God’s word. Conversely, spiritual atrophy is the expectation for those who do not open the Good Book. Confident that it is true, but void of its power, defines the complacent attitude toward the Bible in which the Devil, no doubt, rejoices.

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● Atmosphere. The author had a particular reason or burden for writing each passage, chapter, and book. Be sure you notice the mood or tone or urgency of the writing.

Quite often, the study notes provide the insight needed to understand difficult passages while keeping the momentum in your bible. Because there are many study bibles out there, reaching out to your pastor for recommendations can be helpful. The MacArthur Study Bible and The Ryrie Study Bible are a couple good ones to begin your search.

Standing alone amidst the world’s literature, the Bible especially ought to be read. The skills for Bible reading are identical, mechanically, for reading a secular document. But a keener appreciation applies to the divine revelation, and additional considerations for the heavenly message are required. Our devotion to the sacred word must be as special as the book itself.

We desire and pray that our nation’s leaders would resolve to do what this august body resolved. We, however, who are not wavered by infidelity nor distracted by the entanglements of the world, what have we resolved? The Bible demands more than lip service from members of the Lord’s church. It requires our attention in addition to our affection (Psalm 1:2). Become, or continue to be, an effective Bible reader. That is exactly what God wants you to be.

Find a place — Choose the time and place that works best and that you will most likely stick with through the year. I find mornings work best for me. I travel frequently, so I can’t have just one place, but when I’m home, I have a certain chair. I’m moving this year to the dining room table, because I know I’ll be less distracted. For me, I need to turn off everything else and simply concentrate on the Bible reading.

Find a plan — You could simply read three chapters a day and do fine, but I have found having a printed checklist helps keep me disciplined. It may seem mechanical to some, but it will keep you on task. YouVersion has many plans to follow. There are more than you can imagine. The key is to find one. I like the balance of reading some Old and New Testament each day, but choose one that works for you. Here’s a LINK to other options. (Personally, I’ve chosen the ESV Study Bible plan available through YouVersion.)

Sometimes I listen while doing other tasks such as driving or cleaning or running, but I’ve found it to be incredibly profitable to listen while following along in a different English translation (or in the original languages). Listening to a different version than you are reading helps keep you engaged as you inquisitively consider various renderings. The pace is so fast that you miss all sorts of nuances, but you gain a valuable macro-perspective.

Are you a visual learner? If so, click here to visit a website that is for you! The Bible Project team has created high quality animated videos on books & themes of the Bible. Their “Read Scripture” series is particularly useful in private reading because it explains the text verse by verse in a visual way. They even have an app for your phone that provides a daily Bible reading plan complete with animated videos, customized reminder notifications, and more. It’s really cool!

5. Read broadly, study deeply. Reading broadly is a good way to get an overview. When you decide to dip into a section more thoroughly, use an inductive approach to the passage: let the text speak, and start your study from observation (“What does the text say?”) to interpretation (“What does it mean?”) to application (“What does it mean for my life?”) If you’re starting to investigate the Christian faith, you don’t have to come to the text already convinced of the Bible’s truths, but it helps to be open to what the passage says, at least allowing it to stand as an authoritative account worthy of investigation.

Observation is the first and most important step in how to study the Bible. As you read the Bible text, you need to look carefully at what is said, and how it is said. Look for:

We need to read the Bible analytically. God intends for us to understand the Bible, and we ought to analyze the word’s component parts to better understand it as a whole. For example, the Bible student needs to understand the two major parts of the Bible — the Old and New Testaments. The differences between the Old and New Testaments are critical to “rightly handling the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).

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Why start in the New Testament? Bob replies, “Martin Luther said that the Bible is the ‘cradle of Christ.’ All biblical history and prophecy ultimately point to Jesus. The book of Mark is quick and fast-paced, while John focuses on the things Jesus claimed about himself. Mark tells about what Jesus did, while John tells about what Jesus said. In John are some of the simplest and clearest passages, such as John 3:16, but also some of the deepest and most profound passages. It appeals to students and is worthy of study.”

We talked to Bob Grahmann, Ph.D., InterVarsity’s Link Director. For years, he has taught students in the U.S. and Eastern Europe how to get into the Bible and mine the truths it contains. “If you’re digging in for the first time,” he says, “start with the Gospel of Mark, and then go on to John.”

1. Obtain a whole Bible in a version you are comfortable reading. You can do a lot of short reading stints online, but you may like curling up with a real book now and then. Many North American students use the New International Version (NIV) or the newer Today’s International Version (TNIV). Some prefer the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) or the New American Standard Bible (NASB). Some people like to read large sections in The Message, a very readable and dynamic translation that is aimed more at general overall meaning than word-for-word accuracy. A large bookstore or a local Christian bookstore will have several you can choose from, as does Amazon.com (which offers a huge selection that can be overwhelming). Ask some friends who have Bibles to let you browse them. If you’re just starting out, balance their advice with readability. A translation designed for readability and the best general meaning can get you through large chunks quickly, while a more literal translation lends itself to word accuracy at the price of smooth reading.

● Terms, not words. Words can have many meanings, but terms are words used in a specific way in a specific context. (For instance, the word trunk could apply to a tree, a car, or a storage box. However, when you read, “That tree has a very large trunk,” you know exactly what the word means, which makes it a term.)

● Literary form. The Bible is literature, and the three main types of literature in the Bible are discourse (the epistles), prose (Old Testament history), and poetry (the Psalms). Considering the type of literature makes a great deal of difference when you read and interpret the Scriptures.

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As you read this first set of books, try reading the Psalms at the same time. Consider reading one Psalm each day as a preface to the day’s reading in the other books described above. Once you’ve come this far, you will have read one book from each of several shelves in the library — the Gospels, Old Testament history, the Epistles, New Testament history and the wisdom literature. Now you’re ready to go on. You might go to Matthew and read straight through the New Testament, and then go back to Exodus and read straight through the Old Testament. Or, as Bob recommended to us, you can use any one of several reading plans that are available. These plans can range from reading the Bible in one year to reading over several years.

● Repetition. This is another way an author demonstrates that something is important. One reading of 1 Corinthians 13, where the author uses the word “love” nine times in only 13 verses, communicates to us that love is the focal point of these 13 verses.

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Catch up when needed — If you miss a day, don’t sweat it… and don’t quit. Spend a little extra time and play catch up on what you missed. Of course, if you do this too many times you’ll eventually give up, so the key is discipline, but extend grace to yourself as you move through the year. Also, if you didn’t start on the first, start on the 2nd, or the 22nd, and go through the same time next year. You can begin today. There’s no legalism here… just encouragement! You can do this!

Joy is not a participation trophy in the Christian life. It is a prize to be won, an animal to be caught, a treasure we sacrifice whatever necessary to have.

But how do you start? The Bible is, after all, a big book! I have read it through several times. In fact, my goal is to read it through every year, though it some times takes a little longer.

The rules for reading yourself to sleep are easier to follow than are the rules for staying awake while reading. Get into bed in a comfortable position, make sure the light is inadequate enough to cause slight eyestrain, choose a book that is either terribly difficult or terribly boring — in any event, one that you do not really care whether you read or not — and you will be asleep in a few minutes. Those who are experts in relaxing with a book do not have to wait for nightfall. A comfortable chair in the library will do any time (1972, 45).

For more than 40 years now I have been studying the Bible, and it has drastically changed my life. It’s been the key to radical transformation in my perspectives and attitudes, and God has healed and restored my spirit, soul and body through the power of His Word.

● Cross-references. Let Scripture interpret Scripture. That is, let other passages in the Bible shed light on the passage you are looking at. At the same time, be careful not to assume that the same word or phrase in two different passages means the same thing.

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First, it’s important realize that the Bible is not an ordinary book that reads smoothly from cover to cover. It’s actually a library, or collection, of books written by different authors in several languages over several thousand years. But it’s a readable library, and you can get through it. Its books are “shelved” by type and topic, just as in a public library: history, the Law, the Prophets, poems and wisdom literature, eyewitness accounts of Jesus (the Gospels), collections of letters, and mind-blowing apocalyptic descriptions of the past, present and future. What a treasure trove to explore!

If you’re looking for an easy, breezy way to understand the Bible, curl up with The Story of God, the Story Us by InterVarsity Press, 2010. Author Sean Gladding spins the epic biblical tale with compelling creativity and refreshing style.

 

The bible should be read prayerfully. The biblical words may be just be written in the bible the way we write posts here, but it has a deeper meaning that only God can reveal to you. The bible says that we shall know the truth which will set you free.

 

For something to be done successfully,you must show your commitment to that particular thing.So in other to read your Bible successfully,your commitment is required.